The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-02
OBSERVANCE OF NEW YEARS
The Day Is Given Up Entirely to Calling
and to Social Festivity.
Artistic House Decorations and Unique Sou
venirs-lIOw the Day Was Made a
Happy One in Various Ways.

The incidents of New Years celebration,
cept those confined to the ordinary interchange
Of the seasons courtesies, calling and social
gatherings were few. Perhaps it was the bitter
weather with its biting wind and, at intervals.
fall of minute sleety particles that kept people
within doors. Unless one had the exhileration
Of sleigh ride, skating party or toboggan slide
TO win him from his cozy Preside. there was
nothing outside Of the theaters and supposed
obligations TO society to lead him to
undergo. outdoor discomforts- OF course
he social scenes in the open
saloons for all of them had easy entrance and
made TO attempt to observe the law, are to be
included in the means of New Years celebration.
They can always be counted as a certain feat
ure Of the day, and the crowds at the bars
showed that the seasons drinks, from straight
goods to the most complicated OF hot mixtures,
were in great demand. But the barriers of de
cency were not go thoroughly broken down as in
past years. Several bibulants, though, barely
stopped short of complete inehrety, while
the majority took their beverages at easy
stages. Any one saloon was typical of what
going on in every other, and as usual the
conversation characteristic of such places at this
time, kept generally to the question of what the
new Police Commissioners would do for the So
called liberal element. The popular conclusion
was that the saloons ara not to be bothered even
on Sundays.
There was good deal Of calling, but in a
quiet way. 1t was not marked by any idiotic
display of outre eqnippage, saving insone in
stance, where two horses tandem were at
cached to gaily decorated express wagon
Otherwise the callers used the ordinary turn
1uts II they could command them, went
On foot The sensible custom of
modifying the amount and kind Of
refreshments, or doing away with
them entirely allowed the caller to carry ont This
list with respectability. New Years calls, to
greater or less degree, will always be made, but
the custom is becoming less and less exacting
through the growing idea that the courteses
through these means should be limited to init
mate friends or close acquaintance.
The number Of receiving parties was largely
AUGMENTED by the hundreds at homo inform
ally. There are but few baskets hung upon
doors for cards, as in former years, and in many
instances the list Of visitors was quite ss long as
IN those companies who were publicly known TO
be lat home number of pretty devices
were mado use Of as house emoel-
was hung over each door and on the chandeliers,
and the favor to each caller was branch of the
Samo. Tho dining room at one house was made a
;ouleur de rose by it's many tasteful decorations
81 pink. The chandeliers draped in that
color and the dishes decorated with pink satin
bow. One set Of favors were toboggans,
ard another of carnation pinks. Every orches-
ira In the city that could be had was called into
service for reception. and sometimes two en-
gaSefnents were kept one in the afternoon and
another 81 plight. The coming Of Sunday
brought the evening parties to ahsupt close
and late guests hurried rapidly homewards
II was not until the afternoon that many OF
the business honses closed, but more Of them
had anything to DO for TIE holiday Seeker, Il his
means OF amusement were limited, did not feel
incped to waste them in making purchases
other than those Of necessity. 1t is doubtful il
Any of the stores repaid for cutting off half
the holiday. The courts, as usual, did nothing,
hut all tho county Offices had somebody in
them to attend to the wants Of litigants, tax
payers or others having business with the cour-
" and courts IN the cleyk's Office but one case
was fled while the deputy sherffs had nothing
moro to demand their attention than stand
around and gossip. The auditor and his depu
ties were busy on the tax duplicates. while the
recorder, with a few assistants, used the day in
bringing up records The city Offices were
closed in the afternoon, and or two State
officers maintained a show of business by wait
Ing for something to turn mp, after the Police
Commission appointments had been selected.
Tho fall of snow the night before afforded
good sleghng. and the afternoon was lively in
jingling bells and the swishing of cutter runners
Meridian street. presented an animated scene in
the number and variety of seighs. dashine
teams and merry parties. Altogether. the New
Years day OF 1887 can pass to its record an or
derby observance in the various means the people
had for enjoynen